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This book is located on the 1st Floor of Derceto Manor. It is inside Jeremy's Study in the corner shelf. It is found along with the Record, Camille Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre aka The Dance of Death. It is a report of how J.W. Norton and his men killed Pickford and burned Derceto.

Inscription[]

THE TALE
OF
CAPTAIN
J.W.
NORTON
of the Army
of the Union


June 17, 1862. The South was in
collapse. Louisiana was open to us. I
had, each day, to requisition victuals for
our troops, and was aided in this
endeavour by a score of brave men. The
rebels were not yet ready to lay down
their arms. The region was far from
safe. I headed further and further west
and questioned many freed slaves.
From them I learned of a plantation
on the coast. Its name was Derceto.

We received a less than hearty welcome.
Only Pickford, the owner, behaved in
a friendly manner. While my men
counted cattle and grain reserves, I
learned what I could from him. The
man was most unusual and possessed an
extraordinarily cultured mind. At
nightfall, I gave orders for the men to
bivouac at Derceto. Pickford invited
my second in command, lieutenant
Patterson, and myself to dine.

The evening was splendid and our host
proved a most entertaining
conversationalist. While coffee was
being served, Patterson went to inspect
the men’s camp. The cigar Pickford
offered me was so acrid that my head
began to spin.

I remembered camp-fire tales of fellow
officers trapped by devilish Confederate
tricks. My mind floated in a foul and
dense fog, from which emerged the
enlarged and deformed face of
Pickford. He grinned at me.

Patterson’s return chased off the
nightmare. I heard shouts and firing
from outside and found the strength to
take out my revolver. I fired three
shots. Pickford fell to the floor.
Patterson then helped me out of the
burning house. The air was filled with
smoke. We resembled a company in
disorderly retreat. I saw slaves leaping
into the flames of that inferno. They
were trying to save Pickford’s life.

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